Daily Times

LONDON: Premier League clubs have agreed to give pitch-invading fans a minimum one-year ban from their team’s home and away matches. Supporters who are found guilty of entering the pitch without permission or using smoke bombs and other pyrotechnics will receive the automatic 12-month suspension. The bans could also be extended to accompanying parents or guardians of children who take part in such activities. In response to a rash of dangerous pitch invasions in the Premier League and lower leagues last season, England’s top-flight clubs met in London on Wednesday in a bid to find a solution to the growing problem. The policy comes into effect immediately, with the next round of Premier League matches slated for the weekend of October 1 and 2. “At a Premier League Shareholders’ Meeting today, clubs unanimously agreed to introduce minimum-length bans for supporters who take part in anti-social and criminal behaviours at League stadiums,” a Premier League statement said. “Fans caught carrying or activating pyrotechnics or smoke bombs, or entering the pitch without permission, will receive an automatic club ban with a minimum term of one year.